(Newser)
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A suicide bomber blew himself up today during a funeral in northern Afghanistan, killing 10 people, including a member of the national parliament, a government spokesman said. The attack occurred as mourners were leaving the funeral in the town of Talaqan, said a spokesman for the governor's office in Takhar province. Fifteen people were injured in the blast, he said. The spokesman said the dead included parliament member Abdul Mutaleb Baik.

"The suicide attacker killed 10 innocent people and unfortunately Abdul Mutaleb Baik was among them," confirmed lawmaker Sayed Ikramuddin Masomi. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. But over the past year, the Taliban have repeatedly struck at prominent government figures, including the September assassination of former President Burhanuddin Rabbani. Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry said today that security forces killed 30 suspected insurgents in clashes around the country.